I was driving my 2012 home from work. While the transmission was shifting it appeared to shift like this 1st, 2nd then neutral. (engine jumper to 3500rpm). I pulled over and messed with the shift lever. put it in reverse and again like it was in neutral. Finally put it back in drive and all seems to be normal for the next 100miles. Currently I only have 1200 miles on the truck. I drove it to the dealer right after the event and was told that if the truck wasn't acting up at this time and there isn't a check engine light nothing could be done.
Could this have just been some one time strange event? Antone have something strange like this happen to them?

The only problem I've noticed with my 2012's transmission is that it sometimes doesn't upshift to 5th after using engine braking (having the selector in 3rd or 4th, then putting back in D). If I shift from D->4>D, it goes back into 5th right away. I'm guessing it's a programming thing.

Yes my 2012 has done the same thing as far as downshifting and revving high rps, usually when im going down hill and slow down, it like its dropping to first. I know this is not normal, must be a 2012 issue. The people at Toyota act like its thier first day on the job when you present this problem! After spending almost $34000 on the top of the lign set up, this does concern me!

I started this thread. Just an update... The 2012 hasn't done it again.
I'm thinking it has a mine of it's own. The computer seems to influence the shifting alot. I'm also starting to use 4th instead of D since I have hills and it wants to shift into overdrive any chance you give it.

Yes my 2012 has done the same thing as far as downshifting and revving high rps, usually when im going down hill and slow down, it like its dropping to first. I know this is not normal, must be a 2012 issue. The people at Toyota act like its thier first day on the job when you present this problem! After spending almost $34000 on the top of the lign set up, this does concern me!

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It will learn your driving habits. And they do downshift. How high is it revving while braking down a hill?

it happened to me once going uphill where it wouldnt up-shift...stayed in second gear until i let off the gas and stepped on it again.

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If I am understanding you correctly, my 06 is similar to this. This is my first automatic and i found it odd, but what I believe to be happening is this: If you give it a good bit of gas and make it downshift it likes to stay in that lower gear for a bit. Takes mine a lot longer than I expected to decide it can shift back into the higher gear. I assume its giving you time to get back on it if needed with out causing the trans to shift up in down too much. Once it has noticed your throttle has settled out and your not trying to pass someone or whatever it is that you were doing to cause the downshift, it eventually says OK time to get those RPMs back down. This only happens when i really get on it.

I notice it the most if I am in the mountains cruising at like 55 and try to pass a semi. RPMs were at like 1800, then i jump them to 4k+(downshifting to 3rd). If i am also going up a decent grade, that will leave more load on the trans and cause even more hesitation to drop back into a higher gear. I have tried backing off the gas pedal completely and it likes to stay in that gear for a good 5 seconds longer than i expect. I personally don't think its a flaw, i think it was designed like that to keep you from hammering the trans if it were to immediately shift back into 5th once you let off out of a hard acceleration like what i described.

This is just my best guess though, nothing that I know for a fact. I would be interested to hear other peoples diagnosis too.

Its an odd sensation having it in D with hardly any gas but the RPMs staying high. Since the truck was designed to also be able to Tow a decent weight for the size truck, this could also explain it. That trans is going to have a hard day if you have 5k Lbs behind you and its shifting up the first second you left off the gas only to realize that was a momentary break in acceleration and you are again on it, causing it to downshift again.

Yes my 2012 has done the same thing as far as downshifting and revving high rps, usually when im going down hill and slow down, it like its dropping to first. I know this is not normal, must be a 2012 issue. The people at Toyota act like its thier first day on the job when you present this problem! After spending almost $34000 on the top of the lign set up, this does concern me!

I started this thread. Just an update... The 2012 hasn't done it again.
I'm thinking it has a mine of it's own. The computer seems to influence the shifting alot. I'm also starting to use 4th instead of D since I have hills and it wants to shift into overdrive any chance you give it.

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6spd ftw...

But seriously, I've read a lot of these threads - people thinking their tranny is going out on their brand new truck. Long story short, the computer does its best to "learn" your driving style - from what I've gleaned this takes some time before it starts to become 'normal'.

However, the tranny will downshift for engine braking. Again, I've seen a lot of posts on this, it's normal.

Yes the mechanics told me it would learn my driving habit, still waiting on the learning process after 3300 miles. Just seems odd how it downshifts so easily, my 1999 4Runner limited seems much tougher up hill. I just hope the new Toyotas are built as Strong as the previous toyotas, which we all know were built to last for half a million miles or more if taken care of.

Well i pulled my trailer with 6 4x4x12 solid timbers from lowes, it seemed to really struggle getting back to the house about 2 miles away. I didnt get on it and try to blow it up, but had to put on the hazards and drive in 4. Wondering if this truck can pull my 23ft pontoon and trailer in a 30 mile run from lake to home one way without ragging out the trans??? Any thoughts?

Yes the mechanics told me it would learn my driving habit, still waiting on the learning process after 3300 miles. Just seems odd how it downshifts so easily, my 1999 4Runner limited seems much tougher up hill. I just hope the new Toyotas are built as Strong as the previous toyotas, which we all know were built to last for half a million miles or more if taken care of.

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How much of an RPM jump are you seeing? One other thing i noticed with mine was what initially I perceived to be a downshift. But it is just the torque converter unlocking getting ready for a shift. If you have larger than stock tires this will make it happen even more often. I definitely notice it more frequently since i put on 285/75s

Well i pulled my trailer with 6 4x4x12 solid timbers from lowes, it seemed to really struggle getting back to the house about 2 miles away. I didnt get on it and try to blow it up, but had to put on the hazards and drive in 4. Wondering if this truck can pull my 23ft pontoon and trailer in a 30 mile run from lake to home one way without ragging out the trans??? Any thoughts?

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How much did that setup weight, and how much does your trailer weight fully loaded up? If your within the weight limit of the tacoma for towing, you should be fine.

i had a 2010 with a very similar problem. here is what i wrote in a previous post:

back again after quite some time... 2010 V6 double cab 4WD
i've been driving it since early august 2010. it's been great. but in the last month or so, i've been noticing that it seems like the shift points are a little off, especially in the lower gears and at speeds of maybe 0-30 mph. it's like it stays in a lower gear longer or downshifts and upshifts in quick succession, seemingly unnecessarily. not a huge deal and it seems i can minimize it if i drive with a lighter foot, but i don't like to have to be conscious of driving with a lighter foot. it might be my imagination, but seems to do this less after its really warmed up.
i live in SD and it's been a cold winter. could this be caused by engine temp? outside temp? lot's of icy and wet roads, also... is this being caused by the traction control system? i'm not very familiar with the functionality of the lsd, a-track, on-off, buttons... i just leave them on all the time thinking that's probably safest, expecially driving with cruise control. anyone else having similar issues or can anybody comment on this? if it's normal, i guess i'll just deal with it and be content knowing there's nothing wrong with the truck. but if it's a sign of a problem, i need to get it into the dealer. i've got about 10,000 miles on the truck. thanks much...

bringing us up to date... i traded that truck off on a 2012 a couple months ago. some people said that what the 2010 was doing was normal. i "half" agree... the 2012 that i have now drives VERY differently. but i do notice that it does it just a little when outside temperatures are very cold. but NOT NEARLY as much as my 2010 did. i don't know what to tell you. it was so bad in my 2010 that i was willing to pay another $5,000 to trade on a 2012. and i am much happier with the new truck. this transmition runs totally different and much better than the 2010. don't know if this helps you at all... i think it maybe be normal- like the engine has to heat up to a certain point. and keeping the RPM's up is toyota's way of dealing with something, what that is exactly, i'm not sure. but the degree to which that happens in my 2012 is MUCH LESS.

My 09 does the downshift into 1st around turns at a certain speed heard there was a reflash for my year but didn't wanna take it in and they cut my pedal and take my nice thick floor mat and no more for me lol